Equinox Rolls Out New ‘Blink’ Model

NEW YORK -- Equinox is getting in the low-cost model game with its new Blink clubs.

The first two Blink clubs are scheduled to open in December in Yonkers, NY, and Paramus, NJ. In January, a third Blink club, Blink NoHo in New York, is scheduled to open at Fourth and Broadway in Manhattan.

Memberships cost $15 a month for the grey plan single-club access (with a $49 initiation fee) or $20 a month for the blue plan multi-club access with guest privileges (and a $99 initiation fee). Members can sign up online or at one of the clubs by visiting a lobby kiosk, swiping a card, and picking a plan.

“There has been a huge demand for an innovative, value-oriented fitness facility in a number of areas where the market is underserved,” Blink Vice President Dos Condon said in a press release. “People who are shopping for value in their gym experience no longer need to compromise. Blink is an affordable gym that doesn’t look or feel cheap. And since ‘everybody blinks,’ we have designed Blink to attract the widest range of user from the engaged to the first-timer.”

Among the features at Blink will be healthy vending machines in which 10 percent of the proceeds will go to charitable causes that fight obesity and malnutrition. Vending machines also will include towels, water bottles and iPod earbuds. In addition to the latest cardio and strength equipment and free weights, each club will feature a functional training area, a stretching area and a lounge area called “The Front Porch.”

Earlier this year, Crunch introduced a new low-cost model in which memberships range from $9.95 to $19.95 a month. ZX Fitness, formerly Peak Fitness, has memberships as low as $10 a month available in North Carolina and South Carolina. Planet Fitness has made its mark in the industry with its $10-a-month model.